Forbes Travel Guide performs independent, incognito inspections of all hotels we rate. This is what we paid when we stayed at this hotel.

Rates can vary widely by room type and season. "We Paid" is intended to give a general sense of price, but you might find considerably different rates for your trip.

When we book, we aim for the optimum season for the destination, but we avoid holidays and major public events, when prices are highest. We generally book a room at one category up from the most basic.

We take advantage of promotional rates, when possible. That means the rate you see above might have included other benefits, such as spa or meal credits.

Sixteen

We are the only independent, global rating system for luxury hotels, restaurants and spas.

We verify luxury. Our highly trained inspectors visit every property we rate, evaluating based on up to 900 objective criteria. Our hotel stays span a minimum of two nights.

We pay our own way. No one can buy a rating; all ratings are earned through our objective inspection process.

Our global team of inspectors are anonymous at all times, so they have the same experience as a typical guest.

While we inspect both service and facility, our Star Rating system emphasizes service because your experience at a hotel, restaurant or spa goes beyond looks — how it makes you feel is what you will remember most.

We created the original Five-Star rating system in 1958, when we were Mobil Travel Guide.

Five-StarThese are outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities.

Four-StarThese are exceptional properties, offering high levels of service and quality of facility to match.

RecommendedThese are excellent properties with consistently good service and facilities.

Soon To Be RatedAs our highly trained, incognito inspectors work to assess properties, our editors check them out ahead of time and provide a sneak preview of what to expect.

As you might expect, everything at the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Sixteen restaurant (located on the 16th floor of Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago) is larger-than-life. The hosts dress like they’re about to walk down a Paris runway, and the views of the cityscape through the floor-to-ceiling windows are dazzling.

Then there’s the food. Meticulously crafted American cuisine highlighting seasonal ingredients is presented seamlessly by a polished waitstaff. In warmer weather, the restaurant’s alfresco terrace — with hands-down the best views of the city in Chicago — has the city’s most sought-after tables.

SHARE

Our Inspector's Highlights

• The dinner menu changes frequently, almost daily, so you’ll be surprised with new dishes every time you dine at this Chicago restaurant. For a real adventure, go for the blind tasting menu and put your table at the mercy of the chef's whims (sounds scary, but you won’t be disappointed).

• An entire wall of the restaurant consists of floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you an amazing view of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and the Wrigley Building clock tower.

• All the dishes at Sixteen are presented with great care and concocted with remarkable attention to detail.

• The service is very attentive. The staff is polite and gets the timing of the meal just right — no course ever felt too fast or too slow.

• Kids are welcome at the Five-Star restaurant, in fact, the restaurant goes out of its way to cater to the little gourmands. A special children’s menu with tot-friendly treats like pizza bagels and mac and cheese comes decorated with either princesses or Transformers.

Things to Know

• Sixteen is located inside Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago at 401 N. Wabash Ave. in downtown Chicago. Head up to the 16th floor, where you can enjoy the view of the Chicago River along with your breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner at this aptly named restaurant.

• This Five-Star Chicago restaurant serves up morning selections to early birds starting at 6:30 until 10:30 a.m. Lunch is offered from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and it extends to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

• You won’t see a lot of people wearing jeans at Sixteen, where the dress code ranges from smart casual to dressy chic for evening. Don’t worry about getting decked out for breakfast or lunch — a collared shirt works for the guys and office-appropriate attire for the ladies will suffice during the day at the Chicago restaurant.

• You can snag a reservation at the Chicago restaurant several different ways, the simplest being to just call directly (312-588-8030) or visit OpenTable.com. If you’re staying at Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago, the concierge can also get you a table.

The Food

• The lobster, spinach and poached egg on griddled brioche, with hollandaise, breakfast potatoes and roasted tomato is one to try for breakfast, perfectly exemplifying the refined techniques and carefully sourced ingredients that is a trademark of Sixteen.

• The smoked foie gras is a delightful way to start your lunch with kumquat, turnip and verjus served a la carte or as part of Sixteen’s enchanting six course tasting menu.

• For dinner service, a savory cured duck breast with citron, pear and chestnut, was featured on the thoughtfully composed 2016 menu entitled: A Study in Ingredients (a prime example of the commitment to seasonal fare at Sixteen).

• Other standout dishes at dinner include tidal fish and shellfish with trofie pasta and seaweed and an exceptional Four Story Hill Farm veal with green and white asparagus and pickled rhubarb.

The Drinks

• Pair your meal with a distinctive selection from the exceptionally curated wine program by Sommelier Parag Lalit. Lalit has thoughtfully arranged a selection of wines that achieve harmonious flavor balance with the current menu focused on seasonal ingredients.

• Some of the special vintage bottles of wine you'll find at Sixteen come from all over the world. We were especially impressed with the range of wines by Spain’s Bodegas Vega Sicilia including a 1996 bottling of their famed Unico, Burgundy’s Domaine Dujac and Chateau la Mission Haut-Brion.

• The Bar at Sixteen offers a diverse menu of specialty cocktails including the must-try Sweet 16, a refreshing mixture of Grand Marnier, Benedictine, rose hip liqueur and grapefruit juice.

• Other standouts from the cocktail menu include the Mauve Violette, a floral mix of sparkling wine, crème de violette liqueur and molecular black currant and grapefruit spheres or pearls and the Drunken Monk, a blend of pineapple and mint, muddled and topped with Patron Silver and green chartreuse with a sea salt rim.

Sign up for Forbes Travel Guide's curated special offers from the world’s finest Star-Rated properties.
You can withdraw your consent at any time. Visit our Privacy Policy and Terms or Contact Us for more information.